"A few books well chosen, and well made use of, will be more profitable than a great confused Alexandrian library" - Thomas Fuller Introductio ad Prudentiam
Dr Thomas Fuller M.D (1654-1734) was educated at Queens' College, Cambridge and practiced medicine in Sevenoaks, Kent. He is remembered for his two
compilations of proverbs, Introductio ad Sapientiam and Introductio ad
Prudentiam, and for the later Gnomologia - a massive compilation of
proverbs and aphorisms. It is said that Benjamin Franklin used Gnomologia
as a source for some of the sayings in Poor Richard's Almanac.
Gnomology is not, as some might think, the study of popular garden ornaments,
nor for that matter is it the study of the diminutive mythical spirits which apparently inspire the former. A gnomologist is one who collects maxims, proverbs or aphorisms which, individually, can be referred to as gnomes – from the Greek for thought or judgment.
During medieval times it became popular for the learned to put together
collections of sayings and memorable thoughts – the publishing of these reached
its height during the Renaissance when books of proverbs became popular.
In fact, gnomology has remained popular to this day - the ubiquitous pocket
diaries and calendars filled with inspirational sayings found so widely these
days, whether biblical quotes or Dilbert cartoons, all trace their roots to
these first gnomologies.
Confusingly, there are two notable, quotable Thomas Fullers:
The Thomas Fuller quoted above (1654-1734); and
Thomas Fuller (1608-1661), an English preacher, historian, and scholar.
This quote & biography originally ran in an issue of BookBrowse's membership magazine. Full Membership Features & Benefits.
Once We Were Home
by Jennifer Rosner
From the author of The Yellow Bird Sings, a novel based on the true stories of children stolen in the wake of World War II.
The Lost English Girl
by Julia Kelly
A story of love, betrayal, and motherhood set against the backdrop of World War II and the early 1960s.
The only completely consistent people are the dead
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
